Railway truck



Feb. 20, 1940.` R, s. ANDERSQ'N RA'ILWAY TRUCK Filed March 16, 19:58

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A Inventor- Rober-t G. A'nderson,

bg His Attor'neld.

Feb. 2o, 1940.

R.' G. ANDERsoN Iummm TRUCK Filed March 1e. 195s `2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ne 'Il/l '/l/l//l/l//Av/l/ vll/111111111111 Inventor' Robert G. Anderson,

b )V 5- MZ His ttorneg.

Patented Feb. 20, 1940 Pli'llaN'r OFFICE RAILWAY TRUCK Robert G. Anderson, Erie, Pa., asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application March 16, 1938, Serial No. 196,240

6 Claims.

My invention relates to trucks for railway proved resilient fluid cushion for supporting a railway truck bolster.

Another. object of my invention is to provide' an improved railway truck providing a ilexible resilient cushion support for the vertical loads and providing a resilient mechanism for equalizing the load transversely of the sides of the truck for restraining transverse tilting thereof.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent and my invention will be better understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawings, and

thefeatures of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity inthe claims annexed to and forming part of this speciilcation.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a planl view, partly broken away, of a railway truck embodying myl invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1 illustrating the relative arrangement of the transoms vand bolsters of the truck; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly inl section taken along line 3 3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 41.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a truck for a railway vehicle provided with a pair of axles III supported by wheels I and journaled in journal boxes I2. A longitudinally extending equalizer I3 is arranged on each side of the truck and: extends between and is mounted at each end thereof on the top of one of the journal boxes I2.

The equalizers I3 are provided with spring seats I4 on which coil springs I5 are mounted, and'` are arranged to support the vertical load on the truck frame. The upper ends of these coil springs I5 engage spring seats I 6 secured to the underside of side frames I1 of the truck frame, and these side frames I1 are provided with pedestal jaws I8 and pedestal shoes i9, which slidably engage the sides of the journal boxes -I2. The truck frame is provided with end frames 20 arranged to rigidly secure together the ends of the truck side frames I1 at each end of `the truck, and a pair of transoms 2| is arranged in longitudinally spaced-apart relation adjacent `the central portion of the truck and extends between and joins the side frames I1 of the truck. A transversely movable swing bolster 22 is arranged intermediate the inner sides of the transom 2| and is supported thereon by longitudinally extending equalizer bars 23, which engage (Cl. 10S-190) bearing seats 24 arranged between longitudinally extending ilanges 25 formed on the underside of the bolster 22 adjacent each end thereof. A resilient rubber cushion 26 is arranged between the upper side of the bearing 24 and the underside of the bolster 22 between the iianges 25 to dampen vibrations and noise in the swing bolster support. The equalizer ybars 23 are mounted at each end thereof in slots 21 formed in the lower ends `of upwardly 'extending supporting swing links 28; These swing links 28 are pivotally supported to the upper ends thereof by pivot pins 29 pivotally mounted in bearings 30 formed on the transoms 2| adjacent the side frames I1. A second bolster 3| is arranged above the swing bolster 22 intermediate the transoms 2| and is provided with a center bearing 32 arranged to support a center bearing plate 33 for supporting a vehicle frame 34. The second bolster 3| is provided with vertically extending sides 35, which extend about the outer sides of the swing bolster 22 and are provided with transversely extending bearing or wear plates 36 arranged to engage complementary bearingsk 31 formed on both of the inner sides of the transoms 2| adjacent each end thereof for transmitting longitudinal forces between the truck frame and the bolster 3|. The bolster 3|`also is provided with side bearings 38 extending beyond. the truck side frames I1, and is supported upon the swing bolster 22 by a pair of resilient uid cushions comprising flexible annular outer casings or tires- 39, made of a suitable flexible material such as a fabric impregnated with a resilient rubber composition, and within each of which is arranged a ilexible expansible inner casing 4|Ijof suitable material, such as resilient rubber.y The peripheral portions of the tires 39 are of substantially U-shaped cross-section, and are provided with outwardly extending annular flanges 4| and 42 in each of the outer edges thereof which are adapted to engage complementary retaining grooves 43 and 44 formed in cushion seats 45 and 46 provided on the second bolster 3| and swing bolster 22, respectively. The outer tires 39 are arranged between the cushion seats 45 and 46 of the two holsters and surround the outer periphery of y the pneumatic inner casings 40. These inner casings are arranged to be inflated with air or other suitable iluid medium and are provided with valves 41 providing communications between the interior ofY the inner casings 39 and passageways 48 which form the outer ends of a pair of transversely extending pneumatic reservoirs or surge chambers 59 formed in the swing bolster 22. These reservoir surge chambers are arranged to receive and supply the uid medium from the cushions in accordance with the load carried thereby and provide a greater fluid capacity to each cushion, thereby increasing the resiliency thereof by providing for the compression of a relatively much larger volume of gaseous medium than that of the cushions alone. The valve 41 is constructed so as to provide for a restricted passage or iiow of air from the reservoirs 49 to the inner casings 39 and to provide for a substantially unrestricted now of air from the cushion inner casings 39 to the reservoir in order to equalize the pressure therebetween. In this manner, when pressure is applied to the pneumatic cushion which tends to compress the tire 49 and inner casing 39, an appreciable resilient resistance is oiiered to this compressive, force by the cushion, as the air iiows from the cushion inner casing 39 to the reservoir 49 and the pres-v sure increases within the cushion inner casing 39 and the reservoir. When the compressive force upon the pneumatic cushion isrelieved, the air from the reservoir returns through a restricted passage in the valve 41 to the inner 'casing 39, and tends to inflate the inner casing 39 and return the casing and tire to their normal expanded positions. A removable cap 50 is se- .cured in an opening formed in the lower side of the passageway 48 below the valve 41 in order to provide for any desired adjustment of the valve 41. Air may be supplied to the reservoirs 49 from an airbrake system pipe 84 through a iiexible hose 85 connected thereto by a shut-oil valve 85 and to the reservoirs by a three-way valve 81. This pneumatic cushion arrangement provides for the resilient support of the loads on the second bolster 3|, and 'provides a substantially greater restraint for the rebound or return of the upper bolster 3| than for the initial or compressive force which is applied to` the pneumatic cushion. This tends to dampen and restrain oscillations which may be produced by flexibility in the resilient bolster support.

lIn order to provide for transverse tilting with resilient restraint against excessive tilting of the truck, I provide a restraining interconnected link mechanism extending between the sides of the truck frame and arranged to equalize the forces on both sides of the truck. The interconnected link mechanism is arranged between the adjacent sides of the two air reservoirs 49 and includes two complementary sections provided with transversely extending equalizer links 52 and 53 pivotally secured intermediate the ends thereof by pivot pins 54. These pivot pins are mounted in bearings 55 in swing links 55 which extend upwardly through openings 51 in the upper portion of the swing bolster 22 and are pivotally supported by pivot pins 58 on bosses 59 formed on the upper side of the swing bolster 22 on each side of the openings 51. Tie bars 55 are formed on each side of the openings 51 and unite the upper sides of the two air reservoirs 49 formed in the swing bolster 22, and tie bars 5| are formed below the openings 51 and unite the two air reservoirs 49 at the lower edge of the swing bolster 22. -The inner ends of the equalizer links 52 and 53 are pivotally and slidably connected together by a lost-motion connection including a yoke 52 formed on the end of the link 52 and a clevis 53 formed on the end of the link 59. The clevis and yoke are secured together by a pivot pin 54 which' extends through the clevis and pivotally engages an 'opening formed in a bearing block 55 slidably arranged within the yoke 52. In order to transmit resiliently relative vertical forces between the in- 1|, and extend through openings 12 formed in 1 the lower flanges 19 of the casings 1|. These casings are formed with longitudinally extending anges 13 secured to the upper bolster 3| by bolts 14 and upper clamping plates 15. In order to cushion vertical forces Atransmitted from the casings 1| to the second bolster 3| and to provide a more quiet operation of the interconnected link mechanism, a pair of cushion -pads 15, formed oi suitable resilient material, such as resilient rubber, are arranged between the clamping plates 15 and upper ends l1 of the casings 1I. Furthermore, to transmit resiliently vertical forces in both directions, I provide upper heads 18 biased away from the lower pistons 69 by coil springs 19 and 85 and into engagement with the underside of the upper ends 11 of the casings 1|. In this manner the ends 10 and 11 of the casings 1| form stops for limiting the travel of the heads 59 and 18, respectively, in these casings. The upper heads 18 are provided with downwardly extending rods 8| which extend through openings 82 extending through the sleeves 55, and nuts 83 threadedly engage the lower ends of the rods 9| between the sides of the clevises 51 and secure the rods 9| within the sleeves 55..

It the forces on the two sides of the truck are on the upper bolster 3| will tend to produce transverse tilting thereof. Such tilting causes the casing 1| on the side `oi' the frame which is 'tilted downwardly to move in a downward direction, so that a downward force is transmitted to the corresponding upper head 18 which tends to compress the springs 19 and 80. These springs resiliently transmit this downward force to the corresponding lower head 59 and through the sleeve 55 to the outer, pivoted end of the corresponding interconnected link 52 or 53. This tends to cause the upward movement of the lost-motion connection between the ends of the intercon- Anected link mechanism which transmits a downward force to the outer end of the other interconnected link. This downward force is transmitted through the corresponding lower casing flange 10 and through the cushion pads 15 to the other side ol' the upper bolster 3|. In this manner, a portion of the unbalanced force acting on one side of the upper bolster 3| is transmitted through the interconnected link mechanism to the 'other side of the upper bolster 3|, and the downward forces upon the pneumatic spring cushions arranged between the ends of the upper bolster 3| and the lower swing bolster 22 are equalized. Any balanced vertical loads on the trucks are not transmitted through this interancona ticular arrangement disclosed, and I intend in `tl'l'e appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scopeI of my invention.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vehicle truck having Va frame, a bolster element extending transversely of saidtruck frame, means for supporting said bolster element on said frame, a second bolster element, means including a pneumatic cushion for supporting said second bolster element on said firstmentioned bolster element, and a pneumatic reservoir surge chamber formed by one oi' said elements and arranged in communication with said pneumatic cushion.

2. A vehicle truck having a frame, a swing bolster element, means for supporting said swing bolster element on said frame, a second bolster element extending transversely of said truck frame, a pneumatic cushion arranged between said swing bolster element and said second bolster element, a pneumatic reservoir formed by one of said elements, means for providing a communication between said pneumatic cushion and said reservoir arranged to provide for restricted ilow of uid from said reservoir to said cushion and to provide for substantially unrestricted iiow of uid from said cushion to said reservoir.

3. A vehicle truck having a frame, a swing bolster, means for supporting said swing bolster on said frame, a second bolster, a cushion seat formed on said swing bolster, a complementary cushion seat formed on said 'second bolster, a pneumatic cushion arranged between said cushion seats on said bolsters, a pneumatic reservoir formed in one of said bolsters, means for providing a communication between said pneumatic cushion and said reservoir.

4. A vehicle truck having .a frame, a swing bolster, means for supporting said swing bolster on said frame, a second bolster, a cushion seat formed on said swing bolster adjacent each end thereof, a complementary cushion seat formed on said second bolster adjacent each end thereof, pneumatic cushions including annular outer casings and expansible inner casings arranged between said cushion seats on said bolsters, a pair of pneumatic reservoirs formed in said swing bolster, means for providing a communication between said cushion inner casings and said reservoirs.

5. A vehicle truck having a frame, a swing bolster, means including swing links for support-l ing said swing bolster on said frame, a second bolster. resilient pneumatic cushions arranged between the ends of said bolster and said second bolster adjacent each side oi' said truck, a pair of pneumatic reservoirs formed in said swing bolster, means including a valve for providing a communication between said pneumatic cushions and said reservoirs arranged to provide for restricted ilow of fluid from said reservoirs to said cushions and to provide for substantially unrestricted iiow of iiuid from said cushions to said reservoirs. V

6. A truck having a frame, a swing bolster, means for supporting said swing bolster on said frame, a second bolster, means for movably supporting said second bolster on said swing bolster, an interconnected link mechanism including a pair of links pivotally secured together at the inner ends thereof by a lost-motion connection for equalizing the forces transversely of said truck frame, swing links pivotally connecting each of said interconnected links intermediate the ends thereof to said swing bolster, a pair of casings, and means including resilient rubber cushion pads for resiliently securing said casings to said second bolster, each of said casings being resiliently and pivotally secured to the outer ends of said interconnected links and arranged to resiliently transmit relative vertical forces between said linkmechanism and said second bolster through said casings.

ROBERT G. ANDERSON. 

